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(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 1A A. S. COMSTOCK.

' SAIL.

No. 481,614. Patented Aug. 30, 1892.

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A. S. COMSTOCK.

SAIL.

110,481,614. Patented Aug. so, 1892.

6026/166566.' In Vea/760K' WM@ www UNITED 'l STATES ALPI-IONSO S. COMSTOCK,

PATENT OFFICE.

OF EVANSTON, ILLINOIS.

SAIL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 481,614, dated August 30, 1892.

Application filed April 1S, 1892.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, ALPHoNso S. CoMsrocK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Evanston, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sails, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings,which are madea part hereof, and in which- Figure lis a side elevation of a sail and rigging embodying my invention, the parts being shown in the positions that they occupy when the entire sail is set. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the bare rigging, (the canvas being omitted,) the parts being shown in the positions that they occupy when the first reef of the sail is taken in or furled. Fig. 3 is a side elevation, on a larger scale, of portions of the gaff and mast and the means by which according to my invention the former is secured to the latter. Figs. 4 and 5 are horizontal sections thereof on the lines 4 4 and 5 5, respectively.

The present invention relates to a sail the foot of which is secured to a boom, while the luft is secured partly to the mast and partly to a gaff that is somewhat similar to the yard of a lateen-sail, the difference being that in the sail to which the present invention relates the lower end of the gait is held in close to the mast, so that when the sail is set the gaft' is parallel with the mast and forms a continuation ot' it after the manner of a top-mast.

The invention consists in certain features of novelty, that are pointed out in the claims, and its objects will fully appear in the descriptive portion of this specification.

A represents the mast, B the boom, the inner end of which may be secured to the mastin any suitable manner-as, for example, by the goose-neck C-and D is the gaff, the lower end of which is jointed to a goose-neck E, which is capable of both swiveling and sliding upon the mast.

F is a halyard, the bight of which is placed against the ga, whence its two strands are rove through eyes f, formed of leather-n straps having their ends lashed tothe gaff, thence through eyes g in a sliding -block G, hereinafter fully described, thence through an eye at the mast-head and over a sheave H, located Serial No. 429,617. (No model.)

therein, (or a pair of such sheaves or blocks,) thence over a sheave or block I, and thence aft. By hauling down on this halyard the gaff may be lifted to its highest possible p0- sition, as shown by Fig. l, in which position it spreads all of the sail. Should there be too much sail when it is all set, by easing away on the halyard the gaii will fall by gravity until it comes to the position shown by Fig. 2, with the batten J resting upon the boom. If, then, after tying in the reef the halyard be drawn taut and made fast the gaff will be held against the mast in the position shown by Fig. 2, which shows no sail, and only that portion of the sail which is above the batten J will be set. When the parts are in these positions, it the entire sail is to be furled ease away on the halyard and the gai will fall away from the mast, and being between the two strands of the topping-lift L it will be guided by them and will come down on the boom, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2. This is not a new sail nor a new way of handling it.

The novelty of the present invention resides in the manner of rigging it, whereby its movements are made smooth and certain, and the principal feature of novelty is means for holding the goose-neck E in a plane perpendicular to the mast, so that it will slide freely and will not stick. If it is allowed to cant, so that one side sags down lower than the other, it will bind the mast and make its movements harder. To avoid this, I use the block G and any desired number of stout steel wires M, each secured at its upper end to the block and at its lower end to the goose-neck. The ends of the wires are secured, so as to be incapable of turning, and in this Way they are made to act as torsion-springs,which permit a slight turning of the parts E and G relatively to each other and ultimately restore said parts to normal positions.

The block Gr is provided with jaws G', between which the gaff fits when against the mast, whereby it is held against any considerable lateral movement. As before suggested, the springs M will permit it to move slightly, but will return it to normal position as soon as the force that displaced it ceases to act.

In raising the yard from the position shown IOO in Fig. 2 to the position shown in Fig. 1, or vice versa, the goose-neck E and block G slide easily upon the mast.

In lowering the gaff from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the position indicated by dotted lines, or vice versa, the double portion of the halyard runs through the eyes g of the block G, so that said block is useful not only as a means for assisting in supporting the gooseneck E, but also as a movable bearing for the halyard,which permits the halyard to be made fast to the galt. Without sucha movable support for the halyard the halyard would have to have a running connection with the gaft.

The inner end of the hatten is connected to kthe goose-neck E by means of a loop J',

which I prefer to make of leather or some other flexible material that will permit the inner end of the batten to have a slight lateral movement .and that will not be injured itself or injure any other part when the gal is allowed to come down witha run. In furling the sail against the mast the goose-neck E is turned so as to bring the galt and batten out of the path of the boom.

' What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination, with the mast, the ga, a goose-neck connecting the lower end of the gal to the mast, and the halyard, of a block mounted to slide on the mast above the gooseneck and means connecting said goose-neck and block, so that they move together and prevent each other from canting, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the mast, the gaff, the goose-neck E, connecting the lower end of the gaif to the mast, and the halyard, of a block G, mounted to slide upon the mast above the goose-neck, and spring-rods having their upper ends secured to said block and their lower ends secured to said goose-neck, substantially as set forth.

3.` The combination, with the mast, the gai, and the goose-neck E, connecting the lower end of the galf to the mast, of the block G, means connecting the goose-neck and block, and the jaws G', carried by the block and adapted to receive the gatf between them, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with the mast, the ga, and the goose-neck E, connecting the lower end of the gait to the mast, of the block G, having jaws G' and eyes g, the spring-rods M, connecting the goose-neck and block, and the halyard made fast to the yard and rove through the eyes g, substantially as set forth.

ALPHONSO S. COMSTOCK.

Witnesses:

L. M. HOPKINS, J. HALPENNY. 

